The Mexican Fisherman

The Mexican Fisherman
A boat docked in a tiny Mexican village. An American tourist complimented the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them.
"Not very long," answered the Mexican.
"But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the American.
The Mexican explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family.
The American asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"
"I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a siesta with my wife. In the evenings, I go into the village to see my friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs...I have a full life."
The American interrupted, "I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you!
"You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat. With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers.
"Instead of selling your fish to a middleman, you can negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York City! From there you can direct your huge enterprise."
"How long would that take?" asked the Mexican.
"Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years," replied the American.
"And after that?"
"Afterwards? That's when it gets really interesting," answered the American, laughing. "When your business gets really big, you can start selling stocks and make millions!"
"Millions? Really? And after that?"
"After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta, and spend your evenings drinking and enjoying your friends!"

I am sure many of you have heard this story before, but it's simple yet powerful message has been on my mind this holiday season. So much so, that I chose to share it during our annual family Christmas Eve testimony meeting. My take is that we not abondon personal betterment, goals and succes- we just need to make sure our efforts don't replace our devotion to and appreciation of the simple and lasting relationships of family and friends. It falls under the idea that not all that is good is better and not all that is better is best. Sometimes I need to be reminded what is truly the best part of life.

'How Americans View Mormonism' a book review

"How Americans View Mormonism and What We Can Do about It."

I read Gary Lawrence's book when it was first published a couple of years ago and loved it. I am not sure why it was printed in the form of a coffee table book. Although I found the studies included important, I don't see why I would want a book like this displayed on my coffee table for everyone to see. It is more of an insiders look at why Americans don't like us and I think the information is gold. I don't think I am alone. I know that Elder Dallin Oaks made reference to it's findings at Harvard last year and I would not be surprised if this private study done by a rank and file member is one of the reasons behind the "I'm a Mormon" ad campaign.

What the book proved to be for me was a dose of reality. Although I do think many that know me appreciate what we as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stand for, I have mistakenly thought they respect my beliefs, but the studies show otherwise.

However, rather than leave us in the depths of the harsh reality, Brother Lawrence shares some concrete ways we can correct and change the unfavorable opinions. He found that although most don't see us favorably, that view changes dramatically once they get to know us. So we have our work cut out for us and I look forward to doing my little part.

Here is a synopsis of the books most important points;

More Americans have a strongly unfavorable impression of Mormons than a strongly favorable one — by a ratio of 5-to-1 — and it's up to Mormons themselves to correct the situation. Gary Lawrence said only 12 percent of non-Mormon Americans know, unaided, the LDS Church's claim to be a restoration of the church that Christ founded. Sixty-seven percent are uncertain whether Mormons believe the Bible, 77 percent on whether Mormons are Christians and 75 percent on whether Mormons practice polygamy, he noted.

"We've been doing missionary work for 180 years," Lawrence said. "I'd say the delivery vehicles are arriving, but the freight isn't being off-loaded, and that's our fault.

Two years ago, his Orange County, Calif., polling firm conducted a survey among 1,000 randomly chosen American adults, asking about their view of the LDS Church. "We tend to think people are not beating a path to our door, but they respect what we Mormons are trying to do," Lawrence said. "Baloney. They don't."

He found that Americans have a 37 percent favorable and a 49 percent unfavorable impression. By contrast, Jewish people have almost a 7-to-2 positive-to-negative ratio, and the proportion for Catholics is almost 2-to-1 favorable. Lawrence identified the cause as an "approach-avoidance" situation in which many people are "cross-pressured."

"It's a love-hate relationship," he said. "They'd like to believe certain things about us, but they hear other things about us." Fifty-five percent of those polled said they believe Mormons are seekers of truth, "which means that 45 percent don't even believe we are seeking the truth, let alone have entertained the thought that we have the truth," Lawrence said.

"A lot of this comes with a mis-perception of what is known as a faith community," he said, explaining that many people confuse the church with schismatic groups that practice polygamy. "They do the same thing to us that we do to other religions," Lawrence said. "How many of you make a distinction between, say, a Southern Baptist and an American Baptist?"

It's up to Latter-day Saints, he said, to let people know there is a distinction between the LDS Church and the more than 150 splinter groups. "Until we make that point very firmly, we are going to continue to have some problems," Lawrence said.

While Mormons think they are known to the public, "37 percent of Americans do not know a Mormon, and 55 percent never met anybody like you," he said, presuming most of his listeners were active Latter-day Saints. Conducting focus groups for the church, Lawrence found that less-active Mormons have the most friends among those of other faiths. "We are being represented by our least-prepared members," he said.

Lawrence suggested that church members get out into the community but not with "an agenda." Rather, they should do it "simply because we believe in their cause and what they are trying to accomplish…And we make friends, not because we are trying to lead them to the waters of baptism, although it would be wonderful if we could do that, but simply to be their friend," he said. Doing so, Mormons are apt to find people from a wide variety of backgrounds who are looking for truth, Lawrence said. "I say that any church that can have Glenn Beck and Harry Reid as active members is a big-tent religion," he said.

The immediate goal of church members should not be referrals and baptisms, Lawrence said, but rather spreading information, correcting distortions and improving others' understanding of Mormonism. In doing so, Mormons need to "cut the jargon," he said, adding that people don't know where to find the truth "because we have not told them in words they can understand…When we say something, we think we're communicating, but it's not the case until the person understands what we understand," He cited a stock statement church members often use: "The gospel has been restored and the keys of the priesthood are again on the earth."

In focus group, Lawrence found that the word "gospel" only conveys the same meaning to about 15 percent of non-Mormons that it does to Mormons, that is, the totality of Christianity, including its authority and doctrines. Instead, he suggested these words: "Jesus Christ organized a Church; men changed it, and it has been re-established."

"If we can get that simple set of phrases across, we will have accomplished a great amount of work," Lawrence said. "If you want to put it in one sentence, 'We claim to be the re-established, original Christian church.' Even an atheist can understand those words." He said Mormons should say "we claim" instead of "we are" because it carries less tension, pressure and implied threat…People can dispute our claim, but they cannot dispute the fact that we make the claim.”

He suggested that church members replace the traditional three-step paradigm of conversion (find, teach and baptize) with a more realistic six-step model: awareness, awakening, curiosity, interest, investigation and conversion.

Regarding correcting distortions, Lawrence said people have a right to their own opinions but not to their own facts and that "differentiating messages motivate; similarity messages do not….When somebody criticizes our church, or any church, it's American fair play that they will expect you to defend your religion," he said. "It's going to be welcome, or at least it will be tolerated."

Lawrence suggested some responses to a couple of false assertions such as "Mormons aren't Christians." Lawrence said, "Why don't we give them a differentiating piece of information, something they can think about for a while: 'How can we claim to be the original of something if we are not at least the something?'" To the assertion that Mormons don't believe the Bible, Lawrence suggested this response: "Of course we believe the Bible; our members wrote it… If that strikes you as being from the Orrin Porter Rockwell school of diplomacy, you can simply say, 'We claim to be the followers of the same religion as those who wrote the Bible,'" he said.
Regarding the charge that Mormons practice polygamy, he suggested the response given by a friend of his. "If I wanted to be excommunicated from the church, I would practice polygamy; the other sins take longer."

Book of Mormon Authorship Revisited: The Evidence for Ancient Origins

I have been doing some updated study on evidences of authorship of the Book of Mormon and came accross this link on the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholorship's websight. Incredible stuff! Pick a subject below and see what I mean. I particualry enjoyed

Complexity, Consistency, Ignorance, and Probabilities by: Melvin J. Thorne

*Just simply move the cursor to the article that interests you and click for immediate link to the article.

Book of Mormon Authorship Revisited: The Evidence for Ancient Origins by Noel B. Reynolds

Introduction by: Noel B. Reynolds

Part 1: The Nineteenth-Century Origin of the Book of Mormon by: Noel B. Reynolds

The Recovery of the Book of Mormon by: Richard L. Bushman

Personal Writings of the Book of Mormon Witnesses by: Richard Lloyd Anderson

Translating the Book of Mormon: Evidence from the Original Manuscript by: Royal Skousen

Part Two: The Logical Structure of the Authorship by: Noel B. Reynolds

Who Really Wrote the Book of Mormon?: The Critics and Their Theories by: Louis Midgley

Is the Book of Mormon True?: Notes on the Debate by: Daniel C. Peterson

Complexity, Consistency, Ignorance, and Probabilities by: Melvin J. Thorne

Part Three: Letting the Text Speak for Itself by: Noel B. Reynolds

What Does Chiasmus in the Book of Mormon Prove? by: John W. Welch

On Verifying Wordprint Studies: Book of Mormon Authorship by: John L. Hilton

How Many Nephites?: The Book of Mormon at the Bar of Demography by: James E. Smith

Power through Repetition: The Dynamics of Book of Mormon Parallelism by: Donald W. Parry

The Voice of an Angel by: John A. Tvedtnes

The Narrative of Zosimus (History of the Rechabites) and the Book of Mormon by: John W. Welch

Part Four: Locating the Book of Mormon Geographically and Culturally by: Noel B. Reynolds

Lehi's Arabian Journey Updated by: Noel B. Reynolds

The Book of Mormon as a Mesoamerican Record by: John L. Sorenson

The Importance of Warfare in Book of Mormon Studies by: William J. Hamblin

Index

Click here to go directly to this website:

http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/books/?bookid=41&chapid

Not perfect but will have to do.

Rather than play background music at my desk, I often log on to the Mormon Chanel. One of my favorite "on demand" programs is entitled 'Conversations'. These are one hour interviews with Church leaders, authors and news makers.

Some of my favorites have been episode 17 with Sister Susan Easton Black and episode 22 with Elder Jeffrey R Holland. But because I am reading President Monson's biography, I recently clicked on episode 28 to listen to an interview with his biographer Heidi Swinton. I enjoyed hearing the challenges of being called to write the biography while she and her husband were knee deep as presidents of a mission in England.

Anyway, the following personal experience she told impressed me as a great life lesson on getting past self doubts and insecurities.

Heidi Swenton- biographer of Pres. Thomas S Monson.

After writing 'American Prophet: the Story of Joseph Smith' the project was done and submitted to PBS. The accompanying book was also completed and was at the printing press. While on a walk one day, she began questioning her script. She did not feel at ease or at peace about it and became overly concerned she had not done the prophet Joseph justice. She became so torn and overwhelmed with the feeling of inadequacy that she began to weep. She prayed vocally, saying out loud to the Lord that although she had done her best it was too hard and she feared her best wasn’t good enough.

It was then that she remembered an experience of the prophet Joseph’s. In Nauvoo when he started to build the temple he stood before the people and told them they needed the temple before anything else. It was the culmination of his mission and the restoration. He saw it as maybe the last piece of his ministry. He wanted to give the members the endowment to make up for all of his followers trials and hardship. However when the temple rose above the Mississippi, its construction was moving far too slowly for the prophet. He was torn with the inability to complete this task in the manner he had expected but he was out of time.

So he calls nine men, takes them to the redbrick store and up on the second floor reveals the endowment. Not where he wanted to, not in the manner nor place he had intended but he did it anyway. He never officiated in the Nauvoo temple, in fact he never had the chance to walk the halls of the finished temple. It wasn’t the way he wanted it, but he took what the Lord had given him and it worked.

Then Sister Swenton received the following impression, “Heidi, Joseph Smith had to give the temple endowment for the first time on the second floor of a red brick store. It wasn’t how he wanted it, but it worked.” The clouds lifted and she realized that although not perfect, her efforts would do.

Here is a link to the entire interview:
http://mormonchannel.org/programs/conversations-episode-28?lang=eng

FAVORITE WEBSITES

LDS TODAY-
http://www.ldstoday.com/home/large_results.php
I love checking this every day or two. It is a daily list of news articles that mention the church and/or it's members.


The Church's website for Youth.
https://lds.org/youth?lang=eng
WOW! If you and your kids or grandkids aren't checking in here regularly, you are missing some incredible stuff like:
https://lds.org/youth/video/daytons-legs?lang=eng

LDS Gospel Doctrine Lessons
http://www.ldsgospeldoctrine.net/
Fantastic website for any Gospel Doctrine Teachers out there who want to see other teacher's outlines. I particularly enjoy Ted Gibbons analogies and insights.

The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
formerly the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS)
http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/
Incredible articles and papers published regarding scriptures and church history. I loved a recent posting regarding the evidences of multiple authorship in the Book of Mormon.

FAIR
Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research
http://www.fairlds.org/
Don't be confused by the word apologetic. The true meaning of the word has more to do with defending than apologizing. Similar to the Maxwell Institute but not associated with BYU. A great resource for scholarly rebuttals to critics of the Mormon faith.

Mormon Times.com
http://www.mormontimes.com/
For those that might not receive the printed edition with the Church News, this is a fun website with popular contributors like Orson Scott Card, Richard and Linda Eyre and Vai Sikahema.
Here are two of my favorites:
http://www.mormontimes.com/article/19094/Missions-and-football-epilogue?s_cid=search_queue&utm_source=search_queue

http://www.mormontimes.com/article/16147/Orson-Scott-Card-Managing-people-at-church?s_cid=search_queue&utm_source=search_queue

The Cricket and Seagull Fireside Chat
http://yldsr.com/segments/cricket-seagull.html
Steven Kapp Perry interviews LDS artists and performers

Fresh Crab and French Bread

Garnee Faulkner, “Fresh Crab and French Bread,” Ensign, June 1985, 38

One of my all time favorite Ensign articles celebrating the opportunity we each have to be directed by the Holy Spirit to bless and bring solace to others.

It was a typical winter day in San Francisco, cool and damp. We had lived there a few years before and were back renewing memories. Seeing the large, steaming crab vats as we walked along Fisherman’s Wharf, I exclaimed, “Oh, let’s take some crab home to Emma.”“Crab?” asked my husband. “Why crab?”“I don’t know. Maybe she would enjoy it.”Sensing my ever-present desire to bring cheer to a grieving widow in our ward, Ron counseled me to find a more easily transported gift. He suggested that we find something more suitable in one of the souvenir shops beckoning us.In and out of the shops we went, searching in vain for just the right memento.

Empty-handed and tired, we started for our car, only to pass the crab vats once more.“Ron, I still want to take some crab to Emma,” I pleaded.He was still resistant to hauling crab 150 miles, especially when I wasn’t even sure Emma liked it. Nevertheless, we asked the vendor about transporting un-refrigerated crab that distance.

Soon we were crossing the Bay Bridge with the crab carefully wrapped in many thicknesses of paper; a long loaf of the Wharf’s famous french bread was tucked in the side of the sack.On the trip home my thoughts turned to Emma. I remembered the sacrament meeting ten months before when Emma, her husband, Ed, and their oldest son, David, had spoken just before David left to serve a mission. That was the last time we saw Ed. After accompanying David to the Missionary Training Center, Ed suffered a fatal heart attack while still in Utah. He never returned to California.

Ed was a gifted surgeon, highly respected in our community. His passing was felt deeply. In addition to Emma, he left six children, the youngest just a toddler.Though many grieved with the family, it was difficult to express their sympathy because Emma was extremely reserved and quiet. Few knew her well. As the months went on, her sorrow did not seem to lessen. Grief and poor health found her withdrawing from activity outside her home.I was determined to be her friend, her sister in the gospel, and not let fear or personal rejection dilute my concern. Each week I went to her home, sometimes to be invited in while she shared her heartache. Other times she met me at the door but quickly terminated the visit with, “Thank you for coming.”

As I rang the doorbell that day I could hear many feet running to answer. The door opened. Emma, surrounded by her children, stood there puzzled at my brown sack and protruding loaf of bread.“Yes?” she inquired.My spirits were dampened by her coolness, but I faked enthusiasm over our trip to the city and the gift we had brought. As she took the fresh crab and french bread, Emma asked, “Is this for any special occasion?”“No,” I replied, “I just thought you might enjoy some crab from the Wharf.”“Thank you very much,” she said, expressionless, and closed the door.I returned to the car and slumped down into the seat, deflated. All I could say to Ron was, “I’m not sure Emma likes crab.” We finished the drive home in silence.Two days later came the following letter:

My dear friends:
I was very touched by your kind gesture last night and feel compelled to share a few thoughts with you.

Yesterday morning began with the usual daily tasks. I was out sweeping the walks when I looked up to the heavens and, noting the vast, billowing, white clouds, asked, “Ed, do you know what day this is? Do dates have a meaning in heaven? Can you possibly know how much I love you and how desperately you are missed; how I long to be taken into your strong arms and held again just for a minute?”

With tear-stained cheeks I wanted to know if he remembered twenty-three years ago, or even two years ago this day.

All day long memories came rushing back. I remembered our first trip to San Francisco and how cold it was as we walked by the steaming crab pots at the Wharf. Ed was so handsome in his Navy uniform. He always took my hand in his, and holding it tight placed both in his overcoat pocket. How comforting the warmth was. I could see him sitting in the cable car, with his boyish grin, a loaf of bread and a crab under each arm. So many times he repeated this procedure.

San Francisco was our playground. I cannot begin to count the number of seminars and scientific meetings we attended there. To learn more was almost a disease with Ed. After each session we always ended our stay by going to the Wharf. A loaf of bread and a fresh crab became symbolic of a wonderful time together. Now that he’s gone, I wonder what mysteries of heaven he is exploring, what avenues are being opened to him. So many unanswered questions … so impatient I am.
Yesterday was a difficult day to get through. In late afternoon a beautiful floral arrangement arrived with a card from the children declaring their love for me. It was heartwarming. As I looked at the two little ones, then at Eddie and Janet and Miriam—then remembered David—I could see a part of Ed in each and realized that my cup runneth over.

Then at the close of day when I opened the door and saw you standing there with a loaf of bread and a package of fresh crab, it was like a direct message. You denied knowing it was a special day. Therefore I felt it was Ed’s way of saying, “Happy anniversary. I do remember.”

As ever,

Emma

Youtube Favorites

How Joseph Smith "Wrote" the Book of Mormon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByJY-N85i7s

Love this! Strong argument and the music is beautiful!

Mormon Conspiracy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtXY4FBTsDc

Michel Medved is fantastic! Thanks for having our backs!

My Favorite Mormon Joke

Why can't Mormon's send flowers?

from Cheers episode

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25PGOODs99o

My Favorite Talks

They're Not Really Happy by Glen L Pace

http://emp.byui.edu/ANDERSONKC/They're%20Not%20Really%20Happy%20-%20Elder%20Glenn%20L.%20Pace.pdf

Topics- Youth, Temptation of the World, Lehi's vision and comparison between the righteous and those that mock them from the great and spacious building.

Favorite Quotes-

"Don't be fooled by the argument "Everybody's doing it." Your spirit should be offended and your intelligence insulted by such reasoning."

"Compare the joy of intelligent humor and wit with drunken, silly, crude loud laughter."

"Compare our faithful young women who still have a blush in their cheeks, with those who having long lost their blush, try to persuade you to join them in your loss."

"Compare the ability to receive personal revelation and direction in your life with being tossed to and for with every wind of doctrine. "

"When all the evidence is in, the world's graduate school of hard knocks will teach what you young people where taught in the kindergarten of your spiritual training. "Wickedness never was happiness."

One of my all time favorites. So much so that I committed it to memory because his verbiage is classic.